Disney disappoints, ‘Gremlins’ return, and U.S. borrows from Brits: More remake wrongness

Hollywood’s appetite for mining British originals and beloved properties shows no sign of slowing, even as the results often land with a thud. The Wrong Mans, Utopia, Gremlins, and Mulan each received fresh attention in recent years, yet the outcomes rarely matched the originals that fans already held close. The pattern repeats across networks and studios, where announcements generate headlines and the final product often arrives stripped of what made the source material work in the first place.

Oh good! Showtime is remaking that show nobody cares about

Ever since the seminal British comedy show was released in 2013, people have been begging – begging! – for a U.S. remake of The Wrong Mans featuring the supreme talents of spectacular funnyman James Corden (Gavin & Stacey). Just kidding! All of that was a lie. Every last word of it, especially the stuff about Corden. However, somehow a remake is happening, with original director Jim Field Smith set to shoot the remakes. Corden will serve as an executive producer alongside J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) whose production company Bad Robot is involved for some reason (maybe he’ll make it another unseemly Cloverfield tie in). The one good note about this newly announced Showtime pilot is that it’ll star the beloved Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), who will hopefully spend all of his time on set singing this into Cordon’s ear. The pilot never moved forward. Showtime passed in 2019 after the script stage, leaving the project among the many British-to-American transfers that stall before cameras roll.

Gone Girl writer to helm Utopia remake

The industry is really going batshit for Britain right now, huh? Four years after being ordered straight to series (and hitting an apparent dead end at HBO), weird British thriller series Utopia has been ordered by Amazon Studios with Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) serving as the executive producer and showrunner. The nine-episode order will be great news for fans of the pulpy, crime novelist and less than exciting for fans of the original who probably don’t see the point in translating the already flawless show for a US audience. But whatever. Director David Fincher (Zodiac) was originally attached to the project, but production was shut down after budget disagreements. Sadly there’s been no word as to whether the indelible filmmaker will be collaborating once more with Flynn by directing an episode. The completed series premiered on Amazon Prime Video in September 2020 and ran eight episodes before cancellation the following November. Flynn noted the adaptation dialed back some of the UK version’s violence, yet the show failed to build a sustained audience.

A Gremlins reboot was inevitable at this point, wasn’t it?

Everything you love is being tossed into the meat grinder of Hollywood, turning yesterday’s gourmet cinematic feast into the questionable limp meat stick of tomorrow. Now that we’ve got that out of our system, it’s with deep regrets that we share the news Chris Columbus (The Help) has confirmed to Metro US that another Gremlins movie could be on the way and that “it will almost definitely be a reboot.” While talking about the challenges involved in potentially making a Goonies 2, the filmmaker added, “Gremlins, we are actively talking about that. So that’s what I am working on with my production company 1492 Pictures.” Wasn’t one of the rules about caring for a Mogwai something to do with not rebooting an already perfect movie?! Jeez. Leave it alone, people. The project has since shifted from vague reboot talk to a confirmed sequel, Gremlins 3, slated for a November 19, 2027 release from Warner Bros.

Live-action Mulan remake not as queer as it deserves to be

The live-action remake of Mulan has provoked outrage from some fans because “bisexual icon” character Li Shang has been replaced in the script by a more macho dude with totally hetero interests (presumably boobs, beer pong, and beer). In the original animated movie, Li Shang notoriously showed just as much romantic interest in Mulan when she was dressed as a male soldier as he did when she was revealed to be a woman. Not any more, ladies and gentlemen! Li Shang is out and not in the way we’d like. Disney doesn’t have a great track record with this type of thing. For example, in the Beauty and the Beast live-action remake, some fans gave a hard eyeroll at its attempt to represent “gay” character LeFou (Josh Gad). The single scene of representation? A brief moment in which LeFou could be seen dancing with another dude. Good job, Disney. The finished 2020 film removed Li Shang entirely, citing #MeToo-era concerns about power dynamics between a commanding officer and a romantic interest, and split those elements across new characters including Honghui.

Where are they now: canceled US adaptations of British hits

The Wrong Mans pilot at Showtime never advanced past the script stage. Reports in 2019 confirmed the network passed, ending any immediate prospect of a U.S. version. Utopia fared only slightly better. Amazon’s eight-episode run reached viewers in September 2020 and was canceled by November of the same year. Both projects illustrate how quickly studio interest can cool once the initial announcement cycle passes. No further seasons or revivals have surfaced for either title as of mid-2026.

Gremlins franchise revival timeline

Warner Bros. officially confirmed Gremlins 3 in November 2025. The studio set a release date of November 19, 2027. Chris Columbus returns to direct and produce, while Steven Spielberg serves as executive producer. The script is credited to Columbus alongside Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein. This marks a clear progression from the earlier exploratory comments to a locked production slate with major studio backing.

Disney's evolving approach to live-action representation post-Mulan

After the Mulan changes drew criticism, Disney continued to field questions about how it handles source material with queer subtext. The decision to excise Li Shang and redistribute his traits across multiple supporting roles became the template cited in later live-action projects. Observers noted the studio’s preference for avoiding any implication of same-sex attraction in military or authority settings, even when the original text leaned into ambiguity. No major reversal or expanded representation has appeared in subsequent Disney live-action titles that revisit animated properties with similar dynamics.

The 2020s remake fatigue wave

By the middle of the decade, several of the 2018-era projects had either landed or quietly folded. British-to-U.S. transfers and Disney live-action versions reached completion or cancellation between 2020 and 2025. The pattern produced a handful of one-season series, a single completed Mulan film, and a Gremlins sequel still awaiting release. Audience fatigue showed in ratings and box-office returns, yet the pipeline of announced remakes continued without measurable slowdown from studio announcements alone.

Original creators' roles in reboots and sequels

Chris Columbus’s return to Gremlins 3 keeps one original creative voice attached to the franchise. Gillian Flynn’s showrunning credit on the Utopia adaptation placed a high-profile novelist in charge of translating the British series for American viewers. Earlier attachments, including David Fincher’s brief involvement before budget issues ended the HBO version, underscore how often key talent cycles in and out of these projects. Continuity appears strongest when an original participant stays through development rather than when a new team starts from scratch.

Remake announcements still generate coverage, yet the track record from these specific titles points to short runs or delayed follow-ups. Viewers who prefer the source material continue to revisit the originals while the new versions recede from conversation. The cycle persists, but the results remain uneven at best.